Agenda item

Following Lancashire's Full Council meeting on 13 July 2023, the Board is requested to receive and discuss the report which includes enforcement activity related to the illegal sale of vaping products to children and opportunities for further communicating the potential dangers of vaping to young people.  Also the Board is asked to consider making available funding for a Trading Standards campaign to crack down on unscrupulous vape sales venues.

Paula Hawley-Evans, Public Health and Angela Lomax, Trading Standards and Scientific Services, Lancashire County Council provided an update on Tacking Illicit Vapes and Youth Vaping in Lancashire.

The Board were informed that smoking tobacco is still the single biggest cause of preventable illness and death, and the priority remains to achieve a Smoke Free Lancashire. Youth smoking is at its lowest rate, however, there has been a concerning rise in young people under 18 years of age vaping.

The purpose of the report is to set out Lancashire County Council's position on vaping and respond to the Council's motion, 13 July 2023, to bring a report to the Health and Wellbeing Board outlining current enforcement action in vaping in relation to sales to young people in Lancashire, to consider educational opportunities for young people (under the age of 18) in relation to vapes and making available funds for a Trading Standards campaign.

The Trading Standards North West Youth Survey 2023 (Appendix 'A') highlighted that young people are attracted by fruit flavours, attractive packaging, and cheap products with nearly half of the 14–17-year-olds involved in the survey having tried e-cigarettes but not cigarettes. Lancashire Trading Standards Service has seen a significant rise in complaints in relation to underage sales of vape products and in 2023/24 (April–June) seized over 20000 non-compliant/illicit vapes and removed them from the shelves of Lancashire businesses, depriving traders of approximately £100,000 of illicit income.

The increase in youth vaping and illicit products raises several challenges including enforcement capacity and combatting the marketing of products to young people under 18. 

The report outlines current work and opportunities to address these challenges by joint working across public health, schools and colleges, Trading Standards Service and Lancashire's new Stop Smoking Service. It also sets out a Lancashire County Council position statement on youth vaping.  Appendix 'C' contained further information relating to the Law.

Following the presentation, the following comments/issues were discussed:

·  In terms of the "Where's the Harm" leaflet for pupils in Years 8/9, there should be an age appropriate one available for younger children also in Primary Schools.

·  Over 2000 retailers have received information including details on underage sales, Challenge 25 policies and what is a genuine vape and this will continue with every new premises that opens for business selling vapes.

·  Review the partnership working with schools.

·  In terms of advertising, the legal documents set out that advertising vaping, directly or indirectly is illegal, therefore if they appear on TV or in newspapers etc this is classed as advertising and should be challenged legally.

·  More resource is required to tackle the rising issues with vaping.

·  There is a bigger agenda in terms of addiction that needs addressing.

·  Around 70% of young people are trying disposable vapes because they are so accessible.

·  Look at further work with district Planning Committees and look at raising the penalties for illegal selling of vaping products.

·  The Board to agree an action to carry out specific research about sponsors of sport and organisations to enable further discussions and to bring the findings to the next meeting of the Board.

·  To look at a website highlighting businesses that are not complying to Trading Standards.

· The Chair requested that Angela Lomax, Trading Standards and Scientific Services, Lancashire County Council send a report on funding to the Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing.

Resolved:  That the Health and Wellbeing Board endorsed the     recommendations to:

  i)   Work with schools and colleges to promote a whole school approach to tackling smoking and vaping including the distribution of curriculum support materials from Trading Standards and Office of Health Inequalities and Determinants for use in Personal, Social, and Health Education lessons to inform young people about the harms of vaping.

  ii) The development with partners including Trading Standards of a marketing campaign targeted at reducing children and young people vaping by Lancashire County Council's new Smoking Cessation Service in the autumn.

  iii)  Work by Trading Standards on tackling illicit products and underage sales in relation to vaping and explore the need for funding to focus solely on Underage Sales and illicit vapes this could include a Responsible Retailer Scheme and/or additional targeted Test Purchase exercises. 

  iv)  Lancashire County Council's position statement (Appendix 'B') on vaping which supports delivery of the ambitions in the refreshed Lancashire Tobacco Strategy 2023-28 to 'make Smokefree the norm', and address children and young people smoking and vaping. 

  v)  Work with colleagues across the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Partnership to influence the national team around limiting promotions online.

  vi)  Agree as a Board, an action to carry out specific research about sponsors of sport and organisations to enable further discussions and to bring the findings to the next meeting of the Board.

vii)  That as requested by the Chair of the Board, Angela Lomax, Trading Standards and Scientific Services, Lancashire County Council send a report on funding to the Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing.